we cannot see them, but they are there
TRANSCRIPT
This article was downloaded by: [York University Libraries]On: 21 November 2014, At: 21:25Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of Library & Information Servicesin Distance LearningPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wlis20
We Cannot See Them, But They AreThereMelinda Dermody MA, MLIS aa Distance Learning Librarian, and Access Services Coordinator inLearning Resources & Technology Services, 130-A Miller Center, St.Cloud State University , 720 4th Avenue S., St. Cloud, MN, 56301,USAPublished online: 08 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Melinda Dermody MA, MLIS (2005) We Cannot See Them, But They AreThere, Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 2:1, 41-50, DOI: 10.1300/J192v02n01_04
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J192v02n01_04
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We Cannot See Them, But They Are There:Marketing Library Services
to Distance Learners
Melinda Dermody
ABSTRACT. Distance learners are a unique target-population for themarketing of library services and resources. Because these patrons donot visit the library often, if at all, it is crucial to actively promote the li-brary resources and services available to them. Marketing strategies fordistance learning library services need to take a multifaceted approach toreach distance learners in as many ways as possible, and collaborationwith various groups and departments on campus is an important part ofthe process. Promotion of distance library services can take advan-tage of high-tech options, but it should also work in the realm of “tra-ditional” publicity as well. [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>© 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
KEYWORDS. Marketing, promotion, communication, distance learn-ing, library services
INTRODUCTION
Distance learners are a unique target-population for the marketing oflibrary services and resources, and it is especially important that librari-
Melinda Dermody, MA, MLIS, is Assistant Professor, Distance Learning Librarian,and Access Services Coordinator in Learning Resources & Technology Services,130-A Miller Center, St. Cloud State University, 720 4th Avenue S., St. Cloud, MN56301 (E-mail: [email protected]).
Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, Vol. 2(1) 2005http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JLISD
2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J192v02n01_04 41
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ans actively promote services and resources available to these students,since most of them rarely visit the library, if at all. The library’s promo-tional efforts can be crucial to the recruitment, success, and retention ofdistance learners, who can easily fall through the cracks without suchsupport.
Even before a student is enrolled, the quality of remote support ser-vices that an academic institution offers can be an important issue.When geographic boundaries are removed, distance students have morechoices in where to receive their education. Once a student determinesthat a particular program is offered at an institution, it may be the overallquality of the program, including the availability of good secondarysupport services, that ultimately affects his/her choice. As more andmore universities offer distance courses and programs, the role of sup-port services and their adequate promotion become more and more rele-vant.
Once enrolled, a distance student has not only the need for, but alsothe right to, library support services and resources. As the ACRL Guide-lines to Distance Learning Library Services state, “access to adequatelibrary services and resources is essential for the attainment of superioracademic skills in post-secondary education, regardless of where stu-dents, faculty, and programs are located.”1 Students need good libraryservices to acquire a solid education, but the support services that stu-dents receive can also affect whether or not they remain in a distancecourse or program.
THE LIBRARY AND THE DISTANCE LEARNER
What is “the library” to a distance student? It may initially be per-ceived as a building and its resources that are inaccessible to the student.But as librarians, it is our job to make the library a relevant resource thatis there for them and to promote it so that all students are well-informedabout their access privileges. If we fail to succeed in this effort, we leavea significant portion of our student body without library support. AsKate Adams and Mary Cassner have observed, “Users have a variety ofoptions available to meet their research needs . . . with the click of amouse, users can retrieve hundreds of hits from the World Wide Web.”2
If we do not effectively reach our distance students, they may find it suf-ficient to do all of their research on the Web without knowing about theadditional, higher-quality resources and services that their own univer-sity library can provide.
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Having access to high-quality distance library services provides littlebenefit to the student who is unaware of them. That is the main reasonwhy promotion of services is so important and why the ACRL Guide-lines state that “proactive planning, and promotion are necessary to de-liver equivalent library services . . . and generally to maintain quality indistance learning programs.”3 Unlike the traditional on-campus studentwho may initially find the library building and its resources with littleguidance or direction, the library resources available to distance stu-dents may be harder to locate, unless there is active promotion and com-munication related to these resources. The promotional efforts of thelibrary can make these resources more visible, apparent, and ultimatelyuseful for distance students.
It is also useful for students to realize that, even at a distance, not allof the beneficial services that libraries provide are going to be found on-line or in full-text. “The fact of the matter is, academic libraries providean important and valuable array of services to their communities be-yond that which can be retrieved online.”4 The non-electronic servicesthat librarians can promote include physical document delivery andreal-person assistance in the form of telephone or virtual reference, toname just a few. An important aspect of promotion is informing dis-tance students so that they come to realize there is someone in the li-brary actively involved in helping them get what they need.
PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONSABOUT THE DISTANCE AUDIENCE
Since librarians do not see, nor necessarily hear from, all distance pa-trons, identifying them in order to better serve them may be the initialchallenge. Generally, librarians promote their services to distance fac-ulty and students in groups, especially through class lectures, etc. Morespecifically, however, librarians may want to identify and communicatewith distance faculty and students individually, in order to better servethem.
Identifying and locating distance patrons is always affected by theway in which each educational institution coordinates its distance pro-grams. For those schools that centralize their distance courses and pro-grams through an office or department, it may be relatively easy toobtain contact information for all distance students and faculty. How-ever, for those schools that do not centralize their distance programs, itmay be much more difficult. There are promotional options for either
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scenario, but the ability to personally communicate through regularmail or e-mail provides librarians with more opportunities to promotelibrary services to distance students and faculty.
Promoting library resources through faculty is an effective way of in-forming them, as well as their students, about the library and its ser-vices. As Kate Adams and Mary Cassner explained:
In higher education, teaching faculty are an essential customergroup. Instructors are influential in affecting student perceptionsof, and their use of, the library.5
In the case of distance students, a faculty member’s influence may beeven greater, since a distance student’s main contact to the university isalmost always the professor. If faculty are aware of distance library ser-vices and incorporate library resources into their curriculum, the resultis that they greatly assist the library in the promotion of its services andresources. Promoting distance library services to the faculty is wellworth the time and effort involved.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTANCE STUDENTS
Before effectively promoting services to students, it is equally, ifnot more, important to understand their needs and expectations as re-mote library users. Because of their location, remote students havemany different challenges from on-campus students. As Ann Wolperthas observed:
Distance students cannot study in the library between classes.They cannot go to the stacks and browse, or access on-campus da-tabases, or reserve a carrel. They cannot visit the reserve bookroom or check books out.6
These obvious realities affect distance students’ expectations of libraryresources. On the other hand, however, what can remote students realis-tically expect of the library? Promotion of services should take into ac-count exactly where we librarians are meeting our audience, in the senseof understanding their options, limitations, and unique needs. When weencourage the use of remote services, we need to have a good under-standing of what it is the students can and cannot bring to the equation.
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The aspects of library service that we typically promote to on-cam-pus students may be different for distance students. For example, asAnn Wolpert noted,
. . . system up/down time, database relevancy (especially full-text),document delivery response time, telephone support (includingtoll free calls), online finding aids . . . may be more meaningful tostudents learning from a distance than is the number of mono-graphs added to the collection.7
It may be that the things we would never think about promoting toon-campus students are the very things that make all the difference toremote students.
Technology usability, for example, is important, of course, to all li-brary users. But, if a distance student does not know how to connect tothe proxy server, the problem for him/her is equivalent to the library be-ing closed. Along this line, Michelle Kazmer suggested, “The technolo-gies that specifically support remote library use may reveal ways thatthe library can help make distance students’ experiences more satisfac-tory and rewarding.”8 Therefore, just as these issues are considered inproviding remote access, they should also be considered in promotingother library services as well.
MULTIFACETED MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION
Marketing strategies for distance learning library services need to takea multifaceted approach, in order to reach as many learners in as manyways as possible. Since we know that remote students receive their learn-ing in a variety of modes and that they are a very heterogeneous group,we need to expand communication to many outlets. Once the initialcommunication path is established, future promotion of library re-sources is made easier.
According to Ann Wolpert, some of the most important initial ele-ments of a marketing strategy include “product planning . . . technical as-sistance . . . and communications (how will students learn more broadlyabout the library and its services, and how will they give feedback to thelibrary).”9 In the broadest sense, the best initial marketing strategy is toestablish a quality product, which ultimately means reliable and easy ac-cess to library resources and assistance. If that is successful, students willcontinue coming back, and we librarians can continue reaching them in
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the future. Ways to obtain this goal include minimizing barriers to re-sources and services, providing support (both technological and gen-eral), offering a variety of instructional venues, and establishing a stabletechnological infrastructure.
Both high-tech and low-tech options should be utilized in marketingto distance students and faculty. If address information is available forthe distance students, sending a mailer, letter, or brochure describingavailable library services is often an effective means of promotion. Ad-ditionally, this information can also be sent through e-mail to studentsand distance faculty (which is considerably less expensive than usingregular mail). Of course, there should also be postings on the library’sWeb site–on the distance and/or regular home pages. All of these initialmarketing strategies let the students and faculty know that active effortsare being made to help them get all of the resources that they need.
When possible, it is a good idea to deliver promotional informationabout library resources to students using the same mode of deliverythrough which they receive their courses. For instance, if they are pri-marily in online courses, a successful strategy might include sendingthe information through e-mail, the Web, or if possible, a class chat orbulletin board discussion. Students who obtain their courses in otherways, such as traditional correspondence courses, may respond better topromotional material sent to their homes through the postal mail.
DISTANCE WEB SITES IN MARKETING
The distance library Web site needs to serve as a “place” for distancestudents to come. In fact, attempts should be made to make this one ofthe primary venues to reach all distance students. As Kate Adams andMary Cassner have observed:
Distance education home pages are a primary venue to reach dis-tance learners. Librarian-administrators and Web developers shouldcollaborate to make distance education pages easy to locate fromthe library’s home page.10
Just as one can count on the physical library being a key location tocommunicate with on-campus students, one should also be able to counton the library’s distance Web site as being a key communication pointfor distance students. In addition, an effective distance library Web site
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will be invaluable in initiating contact with students, as well as servingas the lure to repeatedly bring them back.
For this reason, the distance library Web site is a prime marketingtool. But, if the site is hard to find, then it loses much of its marketingvalue. As Kate Adams and Mary Cassner have concluded, “In order fordistance learners to become aware of available library services and re-sources, it is essential that the distance education home page be easilyaccessible, or findable.”11 The distance library Web site should have alogical URL, and there should also be a very accessible link from the li-brary’s home page. In addition, taking full advantage of the ability tolink to the distance library site from many different Web sites is essen-tial. For instance, a link can be placed on the continuing studies or dis-tance learning office Web pages or any other sites to which distancestudents normally or occasionally link. Strategically providing links onthe Web pages for other areas in the library, like Reference and Docu-ment Delivery/Interlibrary Loan, can also be beneficial.
Ann Wolpert has pointed out:
Many academic institutions recognize the value of the “brandidentity” that resides in a high-quality on-campus library. . . .These same institutions may not understand the importance ofmaintaining that identity in the distance education environment,however.12
This is an important point. Distance students need to feel connected tothe university, even though they rarely, if ever, visit physically. Withthis “brand identity,” distance students know when they are virtually at“their library.” In order to achieve the desired “brand identity,” distanceservices should appear finished, polished, and of high-quality. Studentimpressions are important in marketing services and resources, andmuch can be accomplished with improvements to things like commonlogos, headers, and buttons.
NECESSARY PARTNERSHIPS
Collaboration is an important feature of marketing distance libraryservices. As Elizabeth Kirk and Andrea Bartelstein have concluded:
Clearly, libraries must promote and be part of rigorous planningand development efforts. Having an opportunity to do so requires
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joining forces with other planners at the beginning of the pro-cess.13
In order to better promote the distance library, there are many ways inwhich to join forces with individuals, departments, and organizations inthe university.
As mentioned earlier, distance faculty can be critical in the effectivedissemination of information about library services and resources. Infact, faculty can play a two-part role in marketing. First, they can informtheir students that the library provides distance services, and secondly,they can actually incorporate these resources into their curriculum. Bothof these actions help in the successful endorsement of distance aca-demic support services.
There are also many advantages to working closely with the institu-tion’s distance-learning coordinating body, in order to market libraryresources and services. This office has a responsibility for promotingthe services, resources, and tools that will help students succeed in theirdistance education coursework. The office also may have an establishedmeans to effectively and easily communicate with all distance students.For these reasons, the library can benefit greatly in establishing andmaintaining working relationships with this office.
Within the library, there are also partnerships that can be greatly bene-ficial in marketing distance library services. Elizabeth Kirk and AndreaBartelstein concluded:
It (promoting the library’s role) means working closely with a li-brary’s program managers and departmental staffs to examinehow existing services can be modified and new services developedto support distance-based communities.14
Once the traditional services are modified to meet the distance students’needs, the various library departments can then also play a crucial rolein promoting the resources and services. The reference department, forinstance, can play a critical role in encouraging distance students to usesuch resources as virtual reference, electronic document delivery, on-line tutorials, and remote-access databases.
The distance librarian may also promote distance library services byestablishing communication with other libraries that are more local tothe distance students. If, for example, a group of distance students isbased in a known location, it may be helpful to communicate with that
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area’s local public library in order to effectively refer students to the re-mote resources provided to them by their local library. In this sense,public libraries can assist, redirect, and market the university’s libraryservices and resources to distance students.
Finally, promotion can occur in informal and unplanned situations.Keeping academic support services, such as the library, in the fore-front of stakeholders’ minds is an important part of successful market-ing. For instance, meaningful promotion of library resources mayoccur in many meetings on or about distance learning–from those for-mal meetings coordinated by planning bodies to informal meetingswith distance faculty. One individual can make a big difference inhelping others in the university become of aware of the available dis-tance library resources. Individual faculty members can promote totheir distance colleagues, and administrators can remember the impor-tance of library services when they are organizing planning commit-tees.
CONCLUSION
Marketing library services to distance students can present uniquechallenges to distance library service planners. When the audience is re-motely located, has more demographic differences than similarities,and yet, still has the need for library services, a different marketing per-spective must be taken. Librarians, faculty, and administrators must re-member that support services can sometimes play a make-or-break rolein the success of a distance student. Given these factors, librarians mustconsider a variety of venues to successfully market distance library ser-vices. Promotional actions must include an understanding of the uniqueneeds of distance students, as well as their expectations and limitations,and planners should take advantage of the important marketing poten-tial that lies with distance faculty.
Finally, a multifaceted marketing approach must be utilized in or-der to reach as many students in as many ways as possible. Communi-cation with students can effectively occur in print, over the telephone,through the Web, through e-mail, and their course management soft-ware, as well as through established modes of communication, such astheir professor or the distance learning coordinating body. Keepingthis in mind, the distance learning library Web page must be some-thing to which students can easily connect and should be designed and
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promoted in such a way that students continue returning to the site,thus keeping it a vital means of communication and marketing. Itshould also be remembered that there are formal and informal ap-proaches to marketing, and one should make the most of all availableoptions.
NOTES
1. “ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services,” College & Re-search Libraries News 59 (October 1998): 689-694; “Guidelines for Distance Learn-ing Library Services,” College & Research Libraries News 61 (December 2000):1023-1029; “Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services: A Draft Revision,”College & Research Libraries News 64 (April 2003): 265-271. To access the Web ver-sion of the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services, go through thelinks provided on the Distance Learning Section (ACRL) Web site, which providesquick and easy access, as well as links to related documents. Available at: http://caspian.switchinc.org/~distlearn (Accessed September 16, 2004).
2. Kate Adams and Mary Cassner, “Marketing Library Resources and Services toDistance Faculty,” Journal of Library Administration 31 (2001): 5-22.
3. “ACRL Guidelines,” 268.4. Ann Wolpert, “Services to Remote Users: Marketing the Library’s Role,” Li-
brary Trends 47 (1998): 21-41.5. Adams and Cassner, “Marketing,” 6.6. Wolpert, 29.7. Ibid., 35.8. Michelle Kazmer, “Distance Education Students Speak to the Library: Here’s
How You Can Help Even More,” The Electronic Library 20 (2002): 395-400.9. Wolpert, 31.
10. Kate Adams and Mary Cassner, “Content Design of Academic Library WebSites for Distance Learners: An Analysis of ARL Libraries,” Journal of Library Ad-ministration 37 (2002): 3-13.
11. Ibid., 10.12. Wolpert, 33.13. Elizabeth Kirk and Andrea Bartelstein, “Libraries Close in on Distance Educa-
tion,” Library Journal 124 (1999): 40-42.14. Ibid., 41.
Received: August 8, 2004Reviewed: September 16, 2004
Revised and Accepted: September 20, 2004
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